


What a Nine-Year Old Doesn't Need to Know

by We_deserve_rainbows



Category: The Mechanisms (Band)
Genre: Drawing, Found Family, implied sex work, lily and the toy soldier are f r i e n d s, not explicit, that childish desire: to have some cash, the toy soldier is very cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25808752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/We_deserve_rainbows/pseuds/We_deserve_rainbows
Summary: For all her proclaimed value of knowledge, she wanted to preserve Lily’s remaining innocence. Ivy didn't know how much experience the Toy Soldier had with children, but she didn't expect it to be aware that most people agreed that they weren't supposed to know what a “nymph” was.
Relationships: Gunpowder Tim & The Toy Soldier (The Mechanisms), Ivy Alexandria & Gunpowder Tim, lily & gunpowder Tim, the toy soldier & ivy alexandria, the toy soldier & lily
Comments: 1
Kudos: 53
Collections: Lilly-of-Many-Names Tales, The Toy Soldier Has Rights





	What a Nine-Year Old Doesn't Need to Know

**Author's Note:**

> I just think we should talk about TS being a nymph more  
> -  
> I hope you like it!

It was a relatively calm day on the Aurora, Lily was sitting at a table in one of the living rooms, drawing with the Toy Soldier. Ivy and Tim sat on a couch, Ivy was reading and Tim was polishing a few of his guns. 

The air was filled with idle chatter, the Toy Soldier and Lily chatting as they drew and Tim occasionally asking Ivy questions, which she would answer immediately. “When are we going planetside next, Ivy?” Tim asked, his focused gaze never leaving his second favourite rifle. 

She didn't hesitate before saying, “We will be arriving planetside to Holopolis in approximately eight days and four hours. You might want to start collecting up some credits, there’s an antique mechanical bow from the late 19000s for sale. You might like it,” Tim nodded his thanks and started polishing his fourth favourite six-shooter.

When Ivy mentioned credits Lily's head perked up and she was filled with that childish desire to have some money. She wanted to buy stuff, she turned her eyes to the Toy Soldier. It was happily coloring an outline of an octokitten that Lily had made for it, and humming a song that she vaguely recognized from a rehearsal that Jonny had allowed her to sit in on. 

“Soldier,” It looked up at the sound of its name and nodded for Lily to continue, “do you have any credits?”

It nodded enthusiastically and grinned that uncanny grin that Lily had come to associate with it, “Oh Yes! I Have Lots Of Credits!” 

Her eyes widened in glee and she earnestly set down her colored pencil, “How? I want credits too!” 

“If You Want Credits You'll Have To Get A Job, Old Bean!” the Toy Soldier exclaimed, as cheerful as ever. Lily frowned, she had only turned nine a few months ago and wasn't sure what kind of job she could get. Now that she considered it, she couldn't recall the Toy Soldier ever talking about being anything _but_ a soldier, and she was suddenly filled with encompassing curiosity about what her strange friend could possibly have done. Lily was sure that it would tell her if she asked.

“Have you had a job other than being a soldier?” Ivy, who was casually listening to their conversation, made note that she might have to intervene later, there was a 76.25 percent chance that the TS was going to tell Lily all the jobs that it had ever had. She, of course, knew everything the Soldier had ever done to earn money. For all her proclaimed value of knowledge, she wanted to preserve Lily’s remaining innocence. Ivy didn't know how much experience the Toy Soldier had with children, but she didn't expect it to be aware that most people agreed that they weren't supposed to know what a “nymph” was.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the Toy Soldiers chipper voice explaining what it had done when it worked as a walking museum exhibit. Tim was paying less attention, but he was still hearing their words and idly thinking about what he had ever done for work, should Lily ever ask him.

“I Toured People Around The Museum,” It was merrily telling Lily, who sat enthralled, “No One Really Wanted To Talk To Me, But Sometimes I Would Get Tips!” She thought about the Soldier explaining museum exhibits and was overcome with affection when she imagined it. 

Lily's eyes gleamed and she thought back to her old ship, she remembered her parents telling her about museums from their home planet, and about all the old things that she could see if they ever went back, “What was in the museum?”

“Oh, Lots Of Things From Old Wars! And Art! It Was Right Tickety-Boo!” The Toy Soldier smiled, it had an air of fond remembrance. Lily grinned right back at it and asked it to tell her more, which it gladly obliged. It was very fond of Lily and it was filled with a warmth some might call love whenever it made its family happy, so it was happy to tell her all about itself.

“After That, I Was In The Salvation Army! Not A Lot Of Credits,” Lily's brow furrowed at that but she didn't interrupt, “But Jolly Good Fellows The Lot Of Them, What, What!”. The Toy Soldier was painfully British sometimes, but Lily didn't mind, she just giggled and nodded. The Soldier hummed thoughtfully before it remembered the lush parties and gold-covered clients in the City, and it exclaimed “Oh! I Almost Forgot! I Got Lots Of Credits When I Was A Nymph!” Dionysus really had paid the nymphs extremely well, it still hadn’t run out of the credits it earned there. 

Ivy was _going_ to say something, just not yet, she wanted to see what it said, or if Lily even followed up with a question. Tim, on the other hand, immediately looked up, something akin to alarm on his face. Not even two seconds after Lily said, “What's that?” 

Tim, who never possessed the desire for knowledge that she did, shouted a panicked order, “Stop talking Soldier!” the Toy Soldier was about to answer, but upon hearing the order it closed its mouth and sat obediently silent. Upon hearing Lily start to protest Ivy spoke up,

“Lily,” she looked over to Ivy, “a nymph is not something that a nine-year-old needs to know about,” Tim nodded enthusiastically and mumbled something about explaining it to her when she was older. Lily grumbled and crossed her arms, but when Tim suggested letting her play Raphaellas piano she was very amenable to leaving the room. 

As Lily took his hand and Tim led her out of the room, he sent a look at Ivy and gestured to the Toy Soldier. Ivy sighed and told it that it could talk again before she set about explaining what you should and should not tell a child. The Soldier, for its part, seemed willing to learn, after all, if Ivy said it would help Lily in the end it was sure that it was the right thing to do.

**Author's Note:**

> i am not at all confident in my ability to write the Toy Soldier, but if you liked it lemme know!  
> -  
> kudos and comments are always appreciated, as is constructive criticism! have a great day <3!


End file.
